Reality TV

Simon Cowell has 86'd his plan to travel to Israel for his TV franchise ... and although he isn't saying specifically why, it seems the cancellation is due in part to the recent violence.

Simon was scheduled to be a judge on "X Factor Israel" but a rep for the production announced Simon would not be part of the show. As for why, the rep would only say Simon canceled "for his own reasons" which involved "legitimate concerns" -- this according to Variety. There was no specific reference to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, but it's not hard to read between the lines.

We tried reaching out to Cowell's rep ... so far, no word back.

As you know, Simon broke his back last year after hopping on his new e-bike and crashing to the ground. It's unclear if the back injury was a factor, but Simon has bounced back so it seems unlikely.

Representatives for Cowell did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A Jewish News report last week cited a source close to Cowell as saying that the media mogul was “bitterly disappointed” that he could not take part for “a number of reasons.”

Teresa Giudice tried like hell to shut down wedding talk in front of her BF -- maybe she's superstitious -- but he's not the least bit shy to talk rings!!!

We got the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star and her man, Luis Ruelas, out in Bev Hills where our guy didn't waste any time getting straight to the point -- y'all getting married, or nah? He specifically posed it to Luis.

Check it out ... to our surprise it was Teresa who wanted Luis to keep his trap shut, but dude was more than down to spill the beans about his plans.

Luis said "yes" 3 times when asked about vows being in their future! We also asked if a double-date with Teresa's ex, Joe Giudice, was a real possibility. Pretty surprising answer to that too.

You gotta see the energy they're both giving off here -- Luis seems super down-to-earth, but Teresa seems super nervous. We guess some topics are just taboo for a woman in love. #nojinx

Kim Kardashian had a really bad case of COVID-19 along with her kids, which shut down production of her show for 2 weeks ... and she says it disrupted her studying for her second crack at the baby bar.

A teaser for "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" already revealed Saint had tested positive for the virus -- but on Thursday night's episode we find out the health crisis went far beyond her oldest son, and affected her whole brood.

Kim says Saint tested positive after an apparent outbreak at his school, and she was really worried about him because he was crying and coughing a lot ... on her. Of course, with 3 other kids in the house, she was also concerned about it spreading, and that's exactly what happened.

North started feeling sick soon after, and eventually both she and Kim discovered they had COVID too. At that point, producers decided to shut down all 'KUWTK' shoots for 14 days while the family quarantined.

Kim says she had some severe symptoms, like a 104-degree fever ... exactly when she was supposed to be putting in 12-hour daily study sessions to retake the baby bar exam -- which as we reported, she'd previously flunked.

Fortunately, everyone in the fam recovered okay, but it seems Kim failed on take 2 of the test. Earlier this week, she said she was studying to take it again.

It's still unclear exactly when COVID hit Kim and her kids since the show was filmed months ago, but we know Khloe contracted the virus sometime in 2020 and revealed on 'KUWTK' that her symptoms were so bad ... Kris Jenner called every doctor she could think of for help.

Kim previously stated Kanye West also had it in the very early days of the pandemic.

Kim Kardashian has been trying to become a lawyer now for more than a year, but she's no closer to getting her license to practice law ... because she missed a passing grade on the baby bar exam.

Kim made it official on a preview of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," where she fessed up to flunking. TMZ heard she flunked the exam months ago, but our Kardashian sources would not confirm.

That said, she can always try again. It's unclear if she took the exam a second time, because many months have passed.

Kim said, "If you are doing law school the way I'm doing it, it is a 4-year program instead of your typical 3-year program, and after year 1, you have to take the baby bar. This was actually harder, I hear, than the official bar."

Kim scored 474 on the exam ... a passing grade is 560.

Kim's mentor in taking the exam, attorney Jessica Jackson, said, "That is extremely close on a test that most people are not taking in the middle of a pandemic." A source tells us Kim had to take the test at home, while balancing her kids and other factors ... making it more difficult than taking the test in a controlled environment.

Meghan McCain and Joy Behar's latest on-air blowup is prompting the new "sheriff" at ABC to step in and demand all of the 'View' co-hosts cool it with their personal attacks.

Production sources tell TMZ ... following Monday's heated exchange between Meghan and Joy over anti-Semitism, ABC News President Kim Godwin called a last-minute meeting with 'View' talent and producers, trying to improve the culture behind the scenes at the show.

We're told ABC was getting flooded with pleas to fire Meghan over her latest tantrum and attacks on Joy, and that's what sparked the virtual meeting.

Our sources say Godwin -- who just took the helm at ABC earlier this month -- told everyone things are getting too personal on TV lately, not with the issues they're debating ... but with the attacks between co-hosts.

Godwin told everyone it's coming off as toxic to the audience, and it's not the direction she wants for the show.

Remember, their competition over at "The Talk" just had to blow up their show, firing Sharon Osbourne after her very personal on-air battle with Sheryl Underwood -- however, we're told Godwin didn't mention CBS specifically.

It sounds like her message was not well received by MM, though -- we're told she stormed out of the meeting before it ended because she felt like she was being "attacked."

Erica Mena is throwing in the towel on her marriage to Safaree after less than 2 years as husband and wife, and as she's currently expecting their second child.

The "Love & Hip Hop" star just filed for divorce last Friday in Fayette County Superior Court in Georgia -- where they appear to have formally tied the knot in late 2019, and where they currently reside.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Erica is asking for primary physical custody of their 1-year-old daughter, Safire, but she's willing to share joint legal custody with Safaree. She's also indicated she wants child support, plus ... exclusive use of the home they currently share.

The signs of a breakup might've been there in front of us all along -- as Erica posed for a preggo shot just a few days ago, and was NOT wearing her wedding ring. She wasn't trying to hide that finger either, and it doesn't look like she and Safaree have been photographed together in quite a while.

The crazy thing is that Erica has a bun in the oven right now -- baby no. 2 with Safaree. Remember, she just had Safire last year ... so they got back to baby-making almost immediately.

Rapper Mo Fayne's song and dance about needing to get out of jail to fix a bum wing and send his daughter off to college didn't fly ... 'cause the judge just denied his request.

The "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" star had a hearing Monday in Georgia, where prosecutors argued Fayne should remain locked up behind bars until sentencing in his federal bank fraud cause ... for which he's already pled guilty.

For starters, prosecutors said Fayne should NOT be let out of jail because long before he was locked up he had already been looking for ways to finagle his way out of jail by Googling which countries he could head to without fear of extradition.

Prosecutors also said Fayne's a hardcore fraudster who talked about swindling other people. They called him a menace and a danger to the public.

The judge shared the feds' concerns about Fayne's online travel search, as well as allegations he'd bragged to a witness he wouldn't end up spending a day in jail.

Fayne's been locked up since December after violating the terms of his bond for allegedly contacting a potential witness. He's slated to be sentenced in September.

TMZ broke the story ... Fayne pled guilty to 6 counts of federal bank fraud after prosecutors say he funded a lavish lifestyle during the pandemic with a Paycheck Protection Program loan. He's accused of using the money to pay off debts, like child support.

The lead singer of the music group that won the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest did NOT use drugs live on air during their celebration ... according to an official investigation.

As we told you ... Damiano David of the Italian band Maneskin -- which took top honors at the singing competition -- was accused of snorting a bump of cocaine after video showed him lowering his head toward a table where the group was gathered.

However, the European Broadcasting Union that organized the event says it conducted a review of the footage and facts -- while also claiming David took a voluntary drug test that came back negative, and determined ... "No drug use took place in the Green Room and we consider the matter closed."

The EBU added that "inaccurate speculation leading to fake news" tarnished this year's event and unfairly impacted Maneskin ... which the organization congratulated again for winning and wished them success.

As we reported ... David claimed the reason he was looking down by the table in the video clip was because a bandmate had broken a glass, and insisted to reporters he doesn't do drugs.

One of the members of the winning band for this year's Eurovision stands accused of taking a bump during the live broadcast ... but he's denying it, saying it's not what it looks like.

Damiano David -- the lead singer of Maneskin, which took top honors at the singing competition -- could be seen at one point during the broadcast in what looked to many like a compromising position. In the now-viral video of the bizarre moment, you see him leaning down face-first toward the table in front of him, hovering for a bit ... and surfacing again.

There's a giant bowl blocking the camera from seeing what's right below in that shot -- but many saw it as it happened live Saturday, and immediately thought he was doing drugs.

Yeah, at first glance ... it does look like he might be doing a line. But, then again, it's hard to tell what the hell's actually going on down there. Some have also noted there are no visible signs of drug residue as he comes back up -- namely, white powder ... aka, cocaine.

The European Broadcasting Union -- which organizes the Eurovision show -- has said it's aware of the video, and that they're looking into the matter with an investigation of their own. Apparently, they tried getting an on-the-spot drug test done for David right then and there, but weren't able to get it together in time before the band flew out for the night.

However, David and his bandmates say they're more than willing to submit to voluntary drug tests ASAP ... as they insist there was zero drug usage by the singer or anyone else nearby.

Lisa Vanderpump's barking up the RIGHT tree when it comes to raising money for her dog foundation ... 'cause she's using Cameo vids to raise big bank for the pups!!!

So, get this ... Lisa usually hosts a huge in-person gala for her Vanderpump Dogs Foundation but when the pandemic hit last year, those plans went kaput -- and that's when Lisa made a brilliant pivot.

The ex-'Real Housewives' star turned to Cameo to raise the money, and so far, after recording more than 1,100 Cameo shout-outs, we're told she's hauled in $215k ... with more to come.

All proceeds from her $275-per-video fee go straight to her non-profit dog rescue org to fund all kinds of necessities -- housing hundreds of dogs and getting them medical treatments.

We're told the foundation's executive director, Dr. John Sessa, and Lisa's daughter, Pandora, have also been instrumental in raising funds for the org outside of Lisa's Cameo gig.

Just to give you an idea of how much time LV's putting into this ... we're told, at one point, she recorded roughly 50 videos in one sitting. #GoodHooman.

And, those who are still new to her work with dogs will soon get a closer look.

Peacock, NBC's streaming service, just announced Lisa's new show, "Vanderpump Dogs" ... which will follow the stories and adoptions that go down at her foundation in WeHo.

Harry Jowsey says he's keeping things friendly with his ex, Francesca Farago, after they were spotted getting cozy in Mexico, but it sounds like he's open to a more romantic reunion.

We got the "Too Hot To Handle" stud outside Alfred Coffee in L.A. and asked him about the pics of him embracing his ex last weekend down in Cancun.

Harry says they're back on speaking terms after what he says was a "toxic" relationship ... and he says he crossed the border, strictly geographically, to make sure his ex is good after her split from Demi Sims.

TMZ broke the story ... Harry and Francesca are hanging out again as she waits in Mexico for her American visa to get approved -- she's Canadian -- and Harry's due to head back down there for his upcoming birthday, leaving open the possibility of a rekindling.

Harry admits "a lot of damage" happened between Francesca and him, and it feels good to be back on speaking terms ... so for now, he's taking a never-say-never approach to the notion of getting back together.

It's interesting, Harry actually thinks Francesca's angry at him at the moment and he doesn't know why -- but he's not kissing and telling about their Mexican rendezvous, despite telling us the chemistry was flowing.

Henry "Nacho" Laun, famous for eating massive portions on "Wahlburgers," is fighting for his life in the hospital after being found unconscious.

Sources close to Laun tell us the reality star was on a road trip from Boston to Cape Cod when he made a pit stop at a gas station Wednesday. We're told a customer at the gas station noticed Laun was unconscious in his vehicle and called 911.

Laun was rushed to a local hospital where he remains. His exact condition is unclear, but one thing is for sure ... we're told he's in bad shape. One source tells us he's in a coma, and the underlying condition is serious.

A friend of Laun's tells us his health leading up to the medical emergency wasn't great ... but it's unclear what led to the event.

We tried to get in touch with his family, but Henry's been estranged from them for years.

A fan favorite on "Wahlburgers," Nacho is one of the original members of Mark Wahlberg's entourage and he's known to never shy away from an eating challenge.

"Rich Kids of Beverly Hills" star Dorothy Wang's in talks to jump from one rich show to another -- the incredibly wealthy squad over at "Bling Empire."

Sources close to the Netflix series tell TMZ ... Dorothy's been in communication with producers, who reached out to her because she's a close friend of 'Bling' star Christine Chiu.

We're told even though nothing's in writing yet ... Dorothy shot a couple scenes this week for Season 2 at Yamashiro Hollywood with Christine and co-star Kevin Kreider.

It's unclear if Dorothy will just appear in a guest role, or if she'll sign on to be a full cast member ... but it looks like the 'Rich Kid' is on her way to becoming a 'Bling' adult.

We actually got Dorothy out at Delilah in WeHo last week, and asked her about potentially joining the show. She played coy, but did admit it would be a lot of fun -- and expressed the importance of more shows giving exposure to Asian culture.

There are now two people on the planet who think Logan Paul will beat Floyd Mayweather next month -- Logan Paul ... and his friend Harry Jowsey.

In fact, the "Too Hot To Handle" hunk tells TMZ Sports he's SO confident in the YouTube superstar's chances ... he's dropping a MASSIVE bet on it!!

"I'm putting 10 grand on Logan. I'm putting 10 Gs on Logan!!!" the MTV star told us outside Alfred Coffee on Wednesday.

So ... why the hell would he put that kinda dough on an 0-1 Internet guy to beat the 50-0 greatest boxer of all time?? Jowsey's got his reasons.

"When I was talking to Logan about it, something in my heart says, 'this guy's got it,'" Jowsey says.

"Logan's gonna knock him out. This is it. Logan Paul is gonna knock out Floyd Mayweather within 5 rounds."

Jowsey says he knows it may seem crazy, but he's sticking to his gut feeling.

"Logan just keeps proving himself. He's a wizard. I don't know what's going on. If anyone can do it, I feel like it's gonna be him."

"Storage Wars" star Jarrod Schulz's days might be numbered on the popular reality TV series ... it all depends on what the network determines after conducting its own investigation following his domestic violence charge.

TMZ broke the story ... Schulz is accused of pushing his ex, Brandi Passante, during a heated argument in late April while she was hanging with friends in a bar. The Orange County D.A.'s Office hit him with 1 count of misdemeanor domestic violence battery for the alleged incident.

Sources close to "Storage Wars" production tell us ... A&E found out about Jarrod getting charged when our story broke, and immediately launched a probe to gather information and speak to those involved.

We're told the network is currently investigating, and though Schulz happened to be off this week's filming schedule ... it's not expected he'll return to shoot segments until A&E concludes its review.

Our sources say once that happens, a decision will be made about his future with the show. We've spoken to multiple other main cast members who say if the allegations of domestic violence are true ... they don't believe he should return.

We're also told the cast has been uneasy with the situation between Jarrod and Brandi, long before the recent allegations.